USA Today: Almost 4 million seniors saved about $2.16 billion through discounts for their prescription medications in 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to announce today. This, administrators say, should help keep costs to the government down in the future.

“Before, many beneficiaries were forced to stop taking the drugs,” said Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare. “This reduces costs through better management.”

…. The 2010 health care law required a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the so-called doughnut hole, or the gap between traditional and catastrophic coverage in the Medicare drug benefit, also known as Part D. In 2012, the coverage gap is $2,930. The Affordable Care Act eliminates the doughnut hole by 2020.

The previous report, with numbers through the end of October, had shown 2.65 million Medicare recipients saved $1.5 billion on prescriptions. That rose to 3.76 million recipients by the end of December.

The Hill: Senate Democrats raised more than $5.3 million in February, marking the third straight month in which they raised more than the month before.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) ended February with almost $19 million in the bank. That’s about $3.5 million more than it had one month ago, meaning the committee saved most of what it raised.

Democrats have cleared their debt and raised more than $52 million during the cycle. DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said it was the most successful February the committee has ever had.

Good Afternoon Chipsticks, GGail, TOD Family….It is a very beautiful sunny day in SoCal so much so that I took today off.

OT: I took my mom to the Dr. Friday to get her drug prescriptions straightened out. One of the non-generics her doctor prescribes is Lipitor. When I took her to the pharmacy yesterday, they gave her the generic Lipitor. They previously changed one of her other medications by giving her a different manufacturer of the same drug. Seniors are funny about switching manufacturers because they think the drug won’t work the same. Has anyone here had this problem with a pharmacy or had a senior citizen in your family experience this? This pharmacist seems to want to take it into her own hands to change my moms medications.

Hello JoJo, I love my pharmacist. He and I have developed a wonderful relationship and I can talk to him about my meds anytime. It’s important to have trust with your physician and your pharmacist.

I would suggest that you go to the pharmacist and inquire as to the reason for the drug mfg change. It could be because your mom’s medical coverage is requesting the change. Then I would suggest you discuss your mom’s hesitation at taking drugs from different mfgs. Sometimes just asking questions and opening up a dialogue will clear up a situation.

First of all, most prescriptions are written for the brand name drug, like Lipitor. by there is a box, which if the doctor checks it, allows for a generic to used instead. These are usually less costly.

Secondly, large chains such as Walgreens, Target, etc. may change the source of their generic due to cost issues or availability from time to time. There may be a change in how the pill looks, but no real change in the medication itself. Even smaller drug stores rely on a supplier who may change the manufacturer of the generic drug. The individual pharmacist has no say in this, usually, as they have to work with the drugs they are supplied with.

My husband’s doctor put him on the generic and then tested him three months later to make sure it was working the same as lipitor. She said she’s had a lot of success with it but it didn’t work as well for everyone, albeit a minority.

Usually the pharmacist is not allowed to substitute unless the doctor specifies that the substitute is okay. That may vary from state to state.

Here is my feeling on generics: there is a lot of experience out there once a drug becomes generic. It’s been fully ‘tested’ by public use for many years. If the generic works, go for it.

Thank you all for your comments. I personally have never had a problem with a generic since it is more affordable and works as far as I know. My mom used Lipitor because there was no generic until recently, however, I think because of the ACA seniors can choose to continue taking the original manufacturer of Lipitor or the generic since it cost the same for her. I would imagine her doctor probably checked the generic is ok. The pharmacist only changed manufacturer of the medication and not the medication itself, sorry if I was not clear. Thanks for the explanation that the pharmacist will use a different manufacturer of a generic medication if they do not have a particular manufacturer’s medication in stock at the time.

actually some of the drugs do not work the same. My son takes seizure medication and he has to have the same brand and cannot use the generic. The generic brand simply does not work for him and in fact triggered his seizures.

So. . . there may not be an issue in this case but your mom is right in that some drugs do not work the same. So that is a valid concern.

My insurance will not cover a brand name drug if there is a generic available. The doctor needs to specify that the generic does not work as well for this patient. Perhaps your mom’s insurance is the same.

Just make sure the water is sterile before you use it. Remember that “brain-eating microbe” they were having trouble with in the Deep South. Though it only affected a couple of people, they picked it up merely from swimming in those warm waters where it lived. Obviously you don’t want to deliberately put that into your nasal passages. But again, it only killed a couple people.

So sorry you are not feeling well, hope you go to the doctor for that prolonged sinus problems. I had sinusitus and my doctor prescribed these pills that knocked it out in two days. I wish I still had that bottle to tell you what she prescribed.

I am so sorry to hear about your car too. Six months new and somone dented your car, that has to sting. These days, the body shops are able to pull out the dent without having to replace the bumper. I’d check with the body shop to see how much they’d charge if you don’t involve your insurance. Sometimes pulling the dent out is less than the deductible you’d have to pay as long as they don’t have to paint too.

There is a little damage to the paint, so the body shop is going to have to be involved. Honestly, I don’t think a car hit it; I think someone kicked it in or hit it with a shopping cart. Very annoying. At least my rental car is covered by the insurance.

Good Afternoon Chipsticks, GGail, TOD family. It is a beautiful afternoon in SoCal so much so I decided to take a day off.

OT: Speaking of Seniors benefiting from the ACA, I took my Mom to get her prescription at a well known pharmacy attached to a drug store and her doctor prescribed Lipitor (not the generic) because she specially asked for it, then when she took her prescription to the pharmacy, they gave her the generic. I asked my mom to check to make sure she got the medications she asked her doctor for. She said it was all there. When she got home, the pharmacy gave her the Lipitor generic. This pharmacy changed her prescription before by using a cheaper manufacturer of a generic which my mom did not ask them to change nor did her doctor. TOD family, have any senior citizens in your family had this happen to them?

Ask for a copy of the prescription submitted by your doctor to make sure that it did not indicate that a generic brand was acceptable. My sense is that the pharmacy most likely did not change to a generic without the consent of the doctor. Generics can create problems for a small group of people so. . . check out the prescription and that could help you resolve.

This is something that drives us meteorologists mad at economists: Thou shalt compare actual figures for month X against the average (say over 30 years, as we do) of month X. Don’t fudge the numbers with “seasonal adjustments” !

TOD we really must not let up and continue to keep the pressure on Limbaugh’s sponsors.

Another “no Limbaugh” list

From today’s TRI Newsletter: Cumulus Media/ESPN Audio affiliates just received a list of 31 advertisers “who requested that their commercials not be scheduled in any Rush Limbaugh programs.” The memo instructs stations to “move any spots that may fall in Rush Limbaugh programs to comparably-rated time periods.” Note that this is a different situation from the March 9 TRI story about 98 advertisers who were on a different list. That was about any content “deemed to be offensive or controversial”, not just the three-hour daily Limbaugh show. And that memo was being circulated by Premiere. This one, with 31 advertisers such as Advance Auto (“no in-program and no adjacent” placement), Intuit Turbo Tax, John Deere and Progressive, is from Cumulus/ESPN Audio.

SALT LAKE CITY, March 16 (Reuters) – Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday vetoed a controversial bill banning public schools from teaching contraception as a way of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The bill, which also sought to bar instruction on homosexuality or other aspects of human sexuality other than the teaching of abstinence, would have been the first of its kind in the nation if it had become law.

It had previously cleared Utah’s Republican-controlled House and Senate, and Herbert was widely expected to sign it.

In vetoing the measure, dubbed HB 363, Herbert said that as a parent and grandparent he considered proper sex education in public schools an important component to the moral education youngsters receive at home.

“If HB 363 were to become law, parents would no longer have the option the overwhelming majority is currently choosing for their children. I am unwilling to conclude that the state knows better than Utah’s parents as to what is best for their children,” he said.

“In order for parents to take on more responsibility, they need more information, more involvement, and more choice-not less. I cannot sign a bill that deprives parents of their choice,” he added.

And what a relief! It was being pushed by another asylum-ready person, Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum (very right wing). Unfortunately, Utah is full of this demographic. And thank goodness the governor doesn’t seem to be among them.

Well CU with the help of the Suprem Court got their fucking wish so they would be able to outspent
the Demos and PBO, but that will NOT happen. We have to recrut a lot’s of small doners and more
people that will VOTE which is more important, we must concentrate on the ground this is our game
to play.

Hey all. Hope everyone is enjoying their day. LL Hope you’re feeling better before long. Hang in there. And ditto to all the good advise from your TOD family.

I’m not usually on during the work day but just wanted to stop in and comment on the Road We’ve Traveled video and what Ms Harris was saying about the president’s reflection on HCR being personal.

For those that are wondering who that young man is standing beside the president as he signed the law, he also lost his mom to some preventable disease (or possibly from cancer) because of lack of coverage, much like PBO did. After her death, and through the whole HCR debacle, he wrote letters, lobbied and spoke courageously at many events on the need for the HCR. I was so thrilled to see the president invited him to the signing.

Anyway I remember all through the fight when people were talking about PBO ‘caving’ that I would tell people that he will fight to the end and give it all he’s got, to get the best that he could, because what you are seeing is NOT a president so much as a boy -who watched his mother fight insurance BS on her deathbed- fulfill a promise of his heart.

And when I watched him during that signing ceremony, I told those watching with me that what they were watching was two young men fulfilling their promises to their dying moms.

So as I watched this recent video I was proud that he brought up his situation with his mom. I say kudos to Ms Harris for pointing that out (altho I’ve not been impressed with her of late), with the caveat that it was not a strategic move to focus on that aspect in the video -as she hints-, rather than focusing on the economic angle. I truly believe that this was the driving force and reason why he DID expend so much ‘political capitol’ on this issue. To have framed it otherwise in the movie, would have belittled the true meaning of HCR, not just for this president but for millions of Americans with similar experiences.

Good afternoon TOD peeps. I hope everyone is having a good day. LL hope you feel better. If the Netti pot is too daunting, try the NeilMed sinus rinse (www.neilmed.com). I use it every day and find their squeeze bottle to be less intrusive and it’s worked miracles for me.

So, just got an email about the White House bringing back the First Question series, where people across the country can now ask questions of Jay Carney online through social media. Yet another great way PBO’s admin is bypassing the lamestream MEE-DEE-YA and engaging directly with its real constituents, the American People. Now, there are many here at TOD, (and you know who you are :-)) that in my humble opinion, could easily run rings around the current crop of WH “presstitutes” and ask insightful, meaningful timely questions about the real issues of the day. I’d watch a press briefing with Jay and any TOD peep here. Let’s get to asking Jay those questions, hmm? (HINT! HINTI! 😆 :lol:)

“Today, we’re pleased to bring back “First Question” – an online engagement series that utilizes social media to answer questions from citizens across the country. You’ve probably seen White House press secretary Jay Carney take questions from the press in the Brady Briefing Room here at the White House. With “First Question,” we’re inviting Americans to ask their questions online for Jay to answer.